Automobile turntable



June 3, 1941. R. F. ASH

AUTOMOBILE TURNTABLE Filed May 23, 1940 Q5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1941. V

Filed May 23,, 1940 R. F. ASH AUTOMOBILE TURNTABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. F. ASH 2,244,598

AUTOMOBILE TURNTABLE Filed May 23, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED era arias This invention relates to improvements in turntable structures and relates particularly to an improved mechanism of this character for turning motor vehicles.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide a vehicle turntable which is mounted upon a center pivot ball and which has auxiliary supporting rollers designed to take care of tilt in the mounting of avehicle on the table, the center pivot ball providing a novel means whereby the table can be easily rotated byan operating motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a turntable rotatably supported in the manner stated wherein a novel means is provided for applying power to the table to effect its rotation, such novel power applyingmeans including a driving motor supported on the table whereby such driving motor is turned with the table and is kept at all times covered and protected from dirt and grease.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel turntable structure in which the driving motor is mounted upon and turns with the table, wherein a novel means is provided for transmitting power to the driving motor from stationary to movable contacts housed beneath the table.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a turntable structure having a novel means for effecting its rotation which is so designed that upon the closing of a control switch,

the table will be given a half turn only as a re-- sult of which it is not possible for the table to continue to turn after the control switch has been closed beyond a half revolution.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a view in top plan of the turntable structure embodying the present invention, a portion of a cover plate for the operating mechanism being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the table structure.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line Q# of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-45 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken through one of the current transfer units or terminals.

Fig. 8 is a view in diagram illustrating an electrical control circuit for the table.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I designates a center frame for the table structure which is made up of a ,pair of crossed beams 2 arranged to substantially form the outline of the letter X and connected across their ends by the transverse beams 3. At the center of the frame, the beams 2 are reiniorced by a coupling plate 4.

Extending along the two opposite sides of the frame I and across the ends of the transverse beams 3 are vehicle wheel supporting tracks or runways 5 which are in spaced parallel relation, as shown, and which are preferably formed from .channel material of substantially 10" width,

each track or runway having an upstanding flange 6 extending along its inner edge and a depending flange 1 extending along its outer edge. Each end of each track or runway is sloped downwardly, as indicated at 8, to facilitate the running of the motor vehicle wheels onto the tracks. As shown in Fig. 6, these trackways may be in two sections, the inner section, to which the flange 6 is joined, being in the form of an angle member which is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the cross-beams 3 while the outer section to which the flange l is connected.

may be in the form of a flat plate secured along one portion of the angle section as indicated at 8 and extending outwardly therefrom on the end of the adjacent cross-beam.

The numeral ill designates a base or floor upon which the turntable is mounted and to this is secured by means of suitable bolts Ii, the base plate i 2. At the center of the plate I2 is a short upstanding cylindrical body l3 forming a cup for a steel bearing ball M. The height of this cup is less than the diameter of the ball, so that a portion of the ball will extend above the top of the cup as shown, the ball, of course, resting upon the plate l2,

At the center of the crossed beams 2 upon the under side of such beams, there is secured the downwardly directed cylindrical body l5 forming a sleeve into which the upper part of the cup 3 extends. This sleeve covers the upper part of the ball l4 and the ball rests upon the under side of the overlying beam 2. Thus it will be seen that the bearing ball I4 is completely housed or enclosed and it is, therefore, protected against dirt and it will also be readily apparent upon reference to Fig. 4, that the ball forms a central pivot on which the table turns.

Secured to the base plate l2 are upstanding stud bolts it which pass through spacing collars I! and arranged concentrically with the cup I3 is a sprocket gear l8 which is provided with suitable apertures to receive the upper ends of the bolts I6 and which rests upon the collars H, as shown in Fig. 4. The central part of this gear is provided with an aperture for the extension therethrough of the bearing ball housing and the gear is secured in fixed position upon the base plate |2 by the bolts l6, as shown.

Secured to one end of the frame in the plane of the under sides of the beams 2 is a platform I9. Upon this platform is mounted an electric motor 20 and a gear reduction mechanism which is conventionally illustrated and generally indicated by the numeral 2|. This mechanism is coupled with the motor by the driving shaft 22 and extending downwardly from the gear reduction mechanism is a shaft 23 which passes through the platform l9 and carries upon its lower end the sprocket pinion 24. The sprocket pinion 24 is connected with the gear H! by the sprocket chain 25.

Extending over the frame I is a shield or cover plate 26 which is provided with a removable door section 21 by which access may be had to the platform I!) and the motor and gear mechanism mounted thereon. Such door 21 is provided with suitable openings for the top portions of the gear mechanism 2| andmotor 20 to extend therethrough, as it will be seen that these units project above the tops of the flanges 6 for the runways. iT F! Secured to the under side of each runway are two castor wheels 28. These castor wheels are arranged so that they will all run along a circular path upon rotation of the table, the wheels resting upon the floor I0, as shown in Fig. 6.

The castor wheels 23 are preferably disposed within the area lying between the transverse beams 3 of the table frame I. Adjacent the outer ends of each of the runways there are mounted upon the floor I!) the fixed castor wheels 29. These wheels bear against the under sides of the runways when the latter are stationary and in their normal positions to have a motor vehicle run thereonto. However, when the table is rotated, the outer ends of the runways ride ofi of the. fixed wheels 29 and in order to permit this, the depending flanges of the runways are provided with notches or recesses 3'0, as shown in Fig. 2.

For the transmission of the necessary electrical energy to the motor 23, there is provided the mechanism and circuit layout shown in Figs. 7 and 8. This mechanism includes a disk 3| of insulation material which, as shown in Fig. 4. is secured to the under side of the frame I, concentric with the central pivot provided by the bearing ball I4. Secured in or against the under face of this insulation disk 3| is a complete contact ring 32 and outside of this ring and concentric therewith is a semi-circular contact segment strip 33 while upon the opposite side of the pivotal center of the insulation disk from the strip 33 and having a greater radius than such strip is a semi-circular contact seg ment strip 34. As stated, these strips are upon opposite sides of the circular strip 32 and have these units is shown in detail in Fig. 7 and as will be seen, comprises a vertically arranged cylinder 36 of insulation material which is threaded at one end, as indicated at 31 for engagement in a threaded aperture in the gear IS. The cylinder 36 has a shoulder 38 which bears against the top of the gear and slidably encircling the upper end of the insulation cylinder is a collar 39. This collar 39 is normally urged upwardly by an expansion spring 40 which encircles the cylinder and bears at its lower end against the shoulder 38 while its upper end engages the lower end of the collar 33.

Within the insulation cylinder 36 is secured an expansion spring 4| which serves the double function of a current conductor and a support for a brush 42 which is mounted in the upper end of the insulation cylinder and is constantly urged upwardly for wiping contact with an overlying insulation strip or current pick-up carried by the disk 3|. 7

Fig. 8 shows the wiring connections between a sounce of electric current, the current transfer elements 35, the pick-up strips and ring carried by the disk 3| and the driving motor 20 with a control switch for throwing the current to one of the strips 33-34 or the other, as may be desired. The source of electrical potential is here shown as comprising a battery 43 but obviously the motor may be supplied with alternating current if desired, from a suitable source such as is supplied for commercial purposes to houses and places of business.

One side of the current sounce 43 is connected by a conductor 44 with the transfer unit 35 having electrical connection with the ring 32. Electrically connected with this ring at the point 35' is an end of a conductor 45 which leads to and is connected with one side of the motor 43 which, as will be recalled, turns with the turntable and with the disk 3|. The other side of the motor 20 has leading therefrom the conductor 46 which is divided into the' two terminals 46 and 46 and each of these terminals is connected with one of the contact strips 33-34 as indicated by the numeral 35". The transfer unit 35 which is arranged for contact with the strip 33 and which is fixed to the gear plate It; beneath the insulation plate 3|, is connected by the conductor 41 with one of two points or terminals 49 of a switch unit 50, while the other transfer unit 35, which is also fixed to the gear I8 and arranged for engagement with the strip 34, is connected by the conductor 48 with the other one of the switch terminals 49. This switch unit 5!] has a blade 5| adapted for connection with either of the two terminals 43 and having electrical connection with the other side of the current source by means of the conductor 52.

With this control arrangement shown in Fig. 8 and employing the transfer units of the type detailed in Fig. 7, it will be readily seen that when the switch blade 5| is set in the position shown,

current will be conducted from the current source through the conductor 18 to the piclr-up strip 3 and will then from the strip to the conductors dfirzila to the motor and be returned by the conductor 45 to the strip 32, passing then by way of the conductor i-'5 to the other side of the supply source. The motor will then be operated to turn the table in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 8, until a full half-revolution has been given to the table, whereupon the opposite end of the pick-up strip or semi-circular segment 34 will run off of or out of contact with the transfer unit 35 associated therewith and, therefore, the current supply to the motor will be broken. However, it will be noted that the other strip as will be brought around until one end moves into engagement with the transfer unit 35 associated with it, thus preparing the circuit for the conduction of current to the motor 25] when the switch blade 5! is thrown over to the other one of the terminals 59, so that the current may then pass through the conductor it and to the strip 33 to be carried through this strip to the conductor iii and to the motor, thereby again operating the motor so as to turn the table in the same direction as it was previously turned and through a second half-revolution.

From the foregoing, it will be readily seen that the electrically operated turntable structure herein disclosed is of novel construction in that the operating motor therefor is carried upon the table and may, therefore, be lrept completely covered at all times so that there is no possibility for dirt to enter the motor and also that the other moving parts are effectively shielded by the pro vision of the cover plate 26 carried by the table. It will also be seen that by reason of the novel central pivoting means for the table, the latter may be smoothly and easily rotated and also by the provision of the novel electrical control means, the operating switch can be closed and left without further attention and the table will not rotate through more than a half-revolution, after which it is necessary that the switch be again manipulated so as to bring about a further half-revolution of the table.

It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing that in addition to functioning as a turn table for motor vehicles, the device herein disclosed may be employed for turning other structures and it is particularly contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention to employ such turntable on a miniature scale for display purposes. When employed in this manner, the transfer units 35 would be made use of as required for conducting current from a source of supply to the operating motor and back to the supply source so that the table could be kept continuously rotating. stoppage of rotation of the table would be effected through the medium of an ordinary type of control switch in the circuit.

What is claimed is:

l. A motor vehicle turntable, including a pair of spaced vehicle wheel receiving runways, means forming a central supporting pivot for the table, a gear fixed beneath the table concentric with pivot, a platform carried by the table, a ,riving unit supported upon the platform including an electric motor and a gear operatively coupled therewith, a driving connection between said gears, Lea ns for transmitting electric current from a source of supply to said motor, comprising a body of insulation supported upon the under side of the table concentric with the pivot, an annular current pick-up ring carried by the body, a pair of semi-circular contact strips con centric with the ring and disposed upon opposite sides thereof, a fixed current transfer unit beneath and having electrical connection with said ring, a fixed current transfer unit for each semicircular strip, each unit being arranged to electrically contact its strip through half a revolution of the turntable, means electrically coupling one side of said motor with each of said arcuate strips, means electrically coupling the other side a of the motor with said pick-up ring, a source of electric potential, means electrically coupling one side of said source with the current transfer unit having electrical connection with said ring, and switch controlled means for selectively coupling the other side of said current source with the current transfer units which are arranged to have electrical connection with the semi-circular strips.

2. A motor vehicle turntable, comprising a body formed to receive and support a motor vchicle, means forming a central supporting pivot for the body, a gear fixed beneath the body concentric with said pivot, a driving unit supported upon the body and including an electric motor and gear means operatively coupled with the motor and having operative connection with said fixed gear, and means for transmitting electric current from a source of sup-ply to said motor, comprising a body of insulation supported upon the under side of the turntable body concentric with the pivot, an annular current pick-up ring carried by the insulation body, a pair of semicircular contact strips concentric with the ring and disposed upon opposite sides thereof, a fixed current transfer unit disposed beneath and having wiping contact with said ring, a fixed current transfer unit supported beneath the insulation body for and having wiping contact With each semi-circular strip, said electric motor having one side electrically connected with said ring and having the other side electrically connected with each semi-circular strip, the first-mentioned current transfer being designed for electrical connection with one side of a source of electric potential and the fixed current transfer units which have wiping contact with the semi-circular strips being designed for selective connection with the other side of the source of electric potential.

RICHARD F. ASH. 

